WASHINGTON - The American University volleyball team opens the 2025 campaign with matchups against local rivals George Mason, Georgetown, and George Washington over Labor Day Weekend. The season opener takes the team to Fairfax, Va. to face George Mason on Friday, August 29, then the Eagles will host their first home weekend against the Hoyas on Saturday for the 17th annual Bender Blue Out, and the Revolutionaries on Sunday.
Game Information
- Game times: 2:00 p.m. at George Mason, 4:00 p.m. vs. Georgetown, 3:00 p.m. vs. GW.
- Ticket info for Saturday and Sunday in Bender Arena: AUEagles.com/Tickets
- All three matches can be watched live on ESPN+.
- The match against George Mason will be played at The Recreation Athletic Complex
Inside the Series
- American is a combined 33-14 against its DMV-area rivals, and is coming off a sweep of the trio a year ago.
- Broken down, the Eagles are 3-1 against George Mason, 11-5 against Georgetown, and 19-8 against George Washington.
- Zedo Yilmaz and Elise Sterling combined for 53 kills over "The Three Georges" series last year, and made just 12 errors.
- The last time George Mason beat AU was in the first-ever matchup in 2021 (3-1), while Georgetown last defeated the Eagles in 2023 (3-2), and the Revolutionaries have not beaten American since 2015 (3-1).
What to Know About American
- It's a young group that takes the court for third-year head coach Ahen Kim, with five freshmen, seven sophomores, three juniors, and no seniors.
- Of the nine players lost from last year's team, the most significant were setter Esma Sipahi and libero Bridget Javitch. Both of them ended in the program record book – Sipahi at sixth all-time in assists (2,951), and Javitch in digs (1,161).
- Headlining AU's returners are sophomores Bella Marrero, Zedo Yilmaz, and Elise Sterling, who were all named to the Patriot League Preseason All-League Team. Marrero was named the Preseason Libero of the Year as well, having led the team in digs (355) and service aces (37) a year ago.
- The outside hitter Yilmaz had an outstanding season that earned her the PL Rookie of the Year award in 2024, leading the conference in kills (368) and points (431.5), while ranking second in the PL with 3.91 points per set, and fifth in kills per set with 3.34.
- Sterling had an incredibly efficient freshmen campaign at middle blocker, hitting a conference-leading .355 on 179 kills, with 71 blocks.
- Fellow sophomore Salme Adeele Hollas also had an impressive rookie season, but at another school. The transfer outside hitter from Siena was selected to the All-MAAC Rookie Team after posting 208 kills, 191 digs, and 40 blocks for the Bulldogs.
- The only other transfer on the team is sophomore middle hitter Monyay Crowder from LIU.
- From one Turkish setter to another, sophomore Deniz Dakak is likely to fill in the big shoes left by Sipahi. She is coming off a promising freshman season, dishing out 85 total assists and adding 25 digs.
- Junior middle blocker Carly Sciborski is back healthy after missing all of last season due to injury. It's a major return for the Eagles, as the south paw opposite hitter posted 109 kills, 48 blocks, and played 103 sets in 2023.
- American's three freshmen are outside hitter Sophie Dufour, libero Alex Ioannou, and setter Lexie Richards.
- AU is coming off a second straight 20-win season that ended in the Patriot League quarterfinal at the hands of Lehigh. The Eagles have never missed the Patriot League Tournament, and reached the PL final under Kim in 2023.
- The next American win will be the 100th victory in Kim's career. He has 40 wins at AU, and brought in 59 wins from his four active seasons at Brown.
- This year's roster has a large international presence, with two players from Turkey (Yilmaz and Dakak), one from Estonia (Hollas), and one from Cyprus (Alex Ioannou) .
Volleyball Weekend Game Day Prices
- Adult: $15
- Youth (4-14)/Senior (65+): $10
- Children ages three (3) and under are not required to have a ticket to enter. If attending without a ticket, they must sit on the lap of an accompanying adult. All children ages three (3) years or older must have a ticket.
- All AU Undergraduate, Graduate and Washington College of Law Students receive FREE admission to regular season athletic events with your AU ID. Military and Veterans will receive the same rate as youth and seniors.
Volleyball Weekday Game Day Prices
- Adult: $10
- Youth (4-14)/Senior (65+): $7
- Children ages three (3) and under are not required to have a ticket to enter. If attending without a ticket, they must sit on the lap of an accompanying adult. All children ages three (3) years or older must have a ticket.
- All AU Undergraduate, Graduate and Washington College of Law Students receive FREE admission to regular season athletic events with your AU ID. Military and Veterans will receive the same rate as youth and seniors.
Host Your Group Outing in the Bender Arena Skybox
- This private luxury seating space seats 30 guests with a balcony view of the game.
- The space features comfortable leather seats, two cable TVs and complimentary snacks and soft drinks.
- Single-match rentals are priced at $450. Additional catering is also available.
- Call (202) 885-2617 or email clawed@american.edu to check skybox availability.
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